Mail-chute.



L. EHRLIGH.

MAIL CHUTE. APPLICATION FILED 1116.10, 1907.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

.Ptented Mar.7,1911.

2 SHEETB-SHEET 2,

L. EHRLIGH.

MAIL GHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1907.

\IOO.

mp: cams psrsus coL, WASHINGTON, n. c.

I v LEO EHRLICH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

CUTLER MAIL OI-IUTE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

MAIL-GI-IUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 10, 1907.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.. Serial No. 388,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO EHRLICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in MaiLChutes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a diagran'nnatic view illustrating my improved mail chute;Fig. 1 is a detail view showing a portion of my improved mail chute;Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, throughthe same; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating another portionof the chute; Fig. f is a detail view of the locking hasp and itsconnections; F ig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig.2; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view showing a modified form of lockingmechanism; and Fig. 7 is a detail view of the glass panel supportingframe.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in mail chutes,the object being to so construct the chute that access may be gained tothe interior for the purpose of repair or to relieve congestionresulting from the lodgment of mail matter in the chute.

Another object is to provide means to close the letter-receivingaperture in the event it is desired to prevent the introduction of mailmatter into the chute.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction,arrangement and combination of the several parts of my device, all aswill be hereinafter described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates angle bars to which are secured, by meansof suitable rivets or other fastening devices, spacing bars 2.

3 is the back plate of the chute having forwardly extending marginalflanges 4, as shown in Fig. 5.

5 is a hooked extension secured to the back plate 3 and designed tocooperate with bne of the spacing bars 2 so as to hold the back plate inposition on its support. In this manner the entire chute section may beswung on the spacing bars 2, and if for any reason it is desired toremove the chute section the same may be lifted from its supports.

(5 indicates the side walls of the chute, which side walls are formedwith folded rear edges, the extremities of said folded portion beingbent rearwardly so as to provide seats to receive the marginal flanges 4of the back plate. The forward edges of these flanges are bent outwardlyand backwardly, the backwardly extending flanges being received in andriveted to the bent portion of a frame 7, which frame supports the frontglass panel 8 in position.

8 and 8" are castings arranged at the lower and upper edges respectivelyof the chute sections, the upper casting 8 having a beveled front edgeand an inclined side edge so as to cooperate with appropriate seatsformed in the casting 8 of the next adjacent lower chute. In this mannerit is possible to swing the chute section on a hinge of commonconstruction.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated diagran imatically my improved chutesection in which a and 6 represent the floors of the building and c aswinging chute section having castings 8 at its ends beveled in oppositedirections. In this manner it is possible to swing the second 0outwardly without disturbing the upper section {Z which constitutes thebeveled portion of the chute section for a floor. Thus the section 0 maybe termed a locking section in that when it is home it looks the section(Z in position. After the section 0 is open, however, it is possible toswing the section (Z to an open position, the upper end of section (Zhaving a. beveled casting similar to 8 the lower end of section d havinga beveled casting simi lar to 8*. The joint section 6 opposite thefloors of the building is preferably provided with castings at itsextremities beveled in opposite directions, which castings correspond tothe castings 8 9 indicates a hinge, one member of which is secured tothe back plate, and the other member of which is secured to the swingingchutes section composed of the side and front walls above described.This hinge may be of any well-known construction.

10 are projections extending laterally from the back plate 3, whichprojections cooperate with hooks or retaining devices 11 pivotallymounted upon the rearwardly extending flange of one of the side walls 6,as shown in Fig. 5. These hooks 11 are connected together by avertically movable rod 12. One rod may extend throughout the length of achute section, a chute section being usually that portion of the chuteextending between floor and ceiling. Said rod carries a slottedprojection 13, see Figs. 1 and 4, which cooperates with an eccentricallyplaced pin 1% carried by a hasp lever 15. then this hasp lever 15 israised from the position shown in Fig. 1 it is obvious that all of thehooks 11 will likewise be raised and released from the projections 10,thus enabling the chute section composed of the side and front walls tobe swung outwardly upon its hinges.

In the event that it is desired not to swing the entire chute outwardly,the rod 12 may be made in two parts as illustrated in Fig. 1*, one ofsaid parts being bent around the laterally extending portion of theother part, whereby after said rod has been manipulated the lowersection may be swung outwardly, leaving the upper section closed. Ofcourse, if it is desired to swing the upper section outwardly, the rod12 may be lifted so as to release the hook levers 11.

16 is a plate hinged to the back plate 3 and carrying a lock 17, thebolt of which lock being designed to be thrown behind the rearwardlyextending flange on the forward edge of the side plate. hen lever 15 isdown, the plate 16 covers the end thereof and prevents the operation ofsaid lever, and also cooperates with a pin 18 on the bar 12, wherebywhen said plate 16 is locked in its closed position the lever 15 cannotbe operated nor can the bar 12 be moved vertically.

19 is a housing whose upper wall contains a mailreceiving-aperture, and20 is a closure for said aperture, said closure being mounted on a rockshaft 21 as shown in Fig. 1. The end of rock shaft 21 is bent in theform of a crank whose end cooperates with a projection in the form of arivet head 22 arranged in the side wall of the chute so that the crankend of the rock shaft 21 may be swung on one side or the other of saidrivet head for the purpose of holding the closure for the mail-receivingaperture in open or closed position, as the case may be.

lVhen the plate 16 is closed, of course it is impossible to operate thecrank end of the rock shaft 21 and spring it over the projection 22, andthus if the plate 20 is open or closed it cannot be moved until theplate 16 is opened.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of locking mechanism for thehinged portion of the chute, in which the side wall 6 at the free edgeof the swinging chute section is provided with a laterally extendingfiange 6 The back plate 8 is provided with a circular bearing 3 in whichis mounted a rocking post 12 having a handled hasp 13 cooperating with astaple 13 on the forward edge of the swinging chute section. A padlock15 may beused to lock the handled hasp in its closed position. Nhen thehasp 13 is swung laterally the post 12 will release the fiange 6' andpermit the swing ing chute section to be opened. W hen the swingingchute section is home and the handled hasp moved to locking position itwill be observed that said chute section is firmly locked in position.

By referring to Figs. 5 and 7 it will be observed that the glass panelsupporting frame 7 isriveted to the rearwardly extend ing flange at theupper edge of the side walls and extends forwardly and is then bent inwardly over the glass frame. In this mannor the frame strip 7 isyieldable laterally, and the free edge of its overhanging portion isalso yieldable in a forward direction.

I do not, in this application, claim the closure for the mail-receivingaperture, as the same forms the subject matter of a divisionalapplication filed by me February 2d, 1909, Serial No. 475,684.

Having thus described the invention,.what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A mail chute comprising in combination, a support, a series of chutesections arranged in front of said support, each chute sectioncomprising a back plate, hooks on said back plate for engaging thesupport, a swinging front portion hinged to the back plate, lateralprojections on the back plate of each section and hooks pivotallymounted on the hinged portions of each section which hooks engage thelateral projections.

2.. A mail chute comprising in combination, a support, a series of chutesections arranged in front of said support, each chute sectioncomprising a back plate, hooks on said back plate for engaging thesupport, a swinging front portion hinged to the back plate, lateralprojections on the back plate of each section, hooks pivotally mountedon the hinged portions of each sectionwhich hooks engage the lateralprojections, and

means whereby all of the hooks on each side of each chute section aresimultaneously actuated.

3. In a mail chute, the combination with a rigidly held verticallydisposed support comprising parallel bars and transverse spacing bars,of a sectional chute positioned immediately adjacent the support andhooks on the individual chute sections for engaging the spacing bars ofthe support to maintain said chute sections in vertical alinement.

4. A mail chute comprising, in combination, two parallel angle bars,connected spacing bars, and a chute section comprising a back plate, aportion of said back plate be ing hinged to said chute section, andhooked connections between said back plate and the spacing bars of saidsupport; substantially as described.

5. In a mail chute, a back plate the side edges of which are bent toform forwardly extending flanges, side walls having folded and re-foldedrear edges to form grooves which receive the forwardly bent side edgesof the back plate, molding strips engaging the front portions of thesidewalls and a transparent front wall the side edges of which arerigidly supported between the molding strips and the front portions ofthe side walls.

6. In a mail chute, a chute section comprising a back plate, a hookthereon for engaging a rigid support, the side portions of which backplate are bent to form forwardly projecting flanges, side walls the rearportions of which are bent to form grooves which receive the forwardlyprojecting flanges of the back plate and a transparent front wallrigidly supported between the front portions of the side walls.

7. A mail chute comprising, in combination, side .walls whose forwardedges are bent outwardly and then rearwardly, a front glass panel, and aframe plate secured to the rearward extensions of said side walls andengaging said glass panel; substantially as described.

8. A mail chute comprising, in combination a support, a swinging chutesection divided into several parts, each of which is capable of beingswung outwardly, and a. separable locking device for said parts, whichlocking device is connected when said parts are in home position;substantially as described.

9. A mail chutecomprising, in combination, a plurality of contiguousswinging sec tions, connected means for locking said sections home, andmeans for disconnecting said locking means whereby one of said sectionsmay be swung independently of the adjacent section; substantially asdescribed.

10. A mail chute comprising, in combination, a support, a back plate,locking projections extending from said back plate, a swinging chutesection, hooked levers mounted on said swinging chute section, a rod orbar connecting said levers, and means for operating said rod or bar;substantially as described.

11. A mail chute comprising, in combination, a support, a back plate,locking projections extending from said back plate, a swinging chutesection, hooked levers mounted 011 said swinging chute section, a rod orbar connecting said levers, said rod or bar being composed of aplurality of sections capable of being disconnected from each other, andmeans for operating one of said sections; substantially as described.

12. A mail chute comprising, in combination, a support, a swinging chutesection, locking devices for said swinging chute section, a verticallymovable rod foroperating said locking devices, a lever for operatingsaid rod, and a swinging lock plate cooperating with said lever to lockthe same home; substantially as described.

13. A mail chute comprising, in combination, a support, a swinging chutesection, locking devices for said swinging chute section, a verticallymovable rod for operating said locking devices, a lever for operatingsaid rod, and a swinging lock plate cooperating with said lever and withsaid rod to lock the said parts home; substantially as described.

14. A mail chute comprising in combination two parallel angle bars,spacing bars connecting said angle bars a sectional chute and hooks onthe back plates of the sections of the chute which hooks engage thespacing bars.

15. A mail chute comprising, in combination a rigid support, a sectionalchute arranged adjacent the support, each section of the chute beingformed in two parts one of which is hinged to the other, hooks on theback plate of each section which hooks engage the rigid support to thehinged front portion of each chute section having inclined ends tocooperate with the inclined ends of the adjacent sections.

16. In a mail chute a chute section comprising a back plate, hooksthereon for at tachment to a rigid support, a front portion hinged tothe back plate and the ends of the side walls of which hinged frontportion are inclined.

17. I11 av mail chute a chute section comprising a back plate, hooksthereon for attachment to a rigid support, a front portion hinged to theback plate, the ends of the side walls of which hinged front portion areinclined and means whereby the hinged front portion is locked to theback plate.

18. In a mail chute, a. chute section comprising a back plate, hooksthereon for attachment to a rigid support, a front portion hinged to theback plate, a transparent front wall for the front portion, meanswhereby said front portion is locked to the back plate and the ends ofthe side walls of said front portion being inclined to cooperate withthe inclined ends of the side walls of the adjacent chute sections,

19. A mail chute comprising in combination, a rigid support, a sectionalchute arranged adjacent the support, each section of which chutecomprises a back plate and a I In testimony whereof I hereunto'affix myhinged front portion, hooks on the back signature in the presence of twoWitnesses, plates for attachment to the support, the enthis 6th day ofAugust, 1907.

gaging ends of the chute sections being in- LEO EHRLICH. clined, andmeans whereby the hinged por- Witnesses:

tion of each chute section is locked to the F. R. CORNWALL,

back plate substantially as described. LENORE VVILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0.

